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BHiveLab Launches Internet of Things Toolkit

PITTSBURGH /PRNewswire/ -- BHiveLab, a leading innovation lab focused on emerging marketing technology, announced the launch of Objctify, a suite of developer tools designed to help marketers and IT professionals build Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

"Most of our work during the past year has been done with the idea in mind that every physical object will soon be connected to the Web," said Rick Gardinier, BHiveLab Chief Strategist. "Many manufacturers are starting to build Web connectivity into their products with sensors, near field communication, Bluetooth, and other smart technology. However, there are very few tools available to help marketers and their agency partners develop IoT applications in a fast and efficient manner."

"IoT is in its infancy, but that is precisely why we are so interested in it," said John Roden, BHiveLab Chief Technology Officer. "When we started to experiment with platforms to help us connect real and virtual objects to the Web, we realized that there is a big need for useful tools and easy access to scalable data platforms."

According to Roden, the Objctify platform will be most useful to marketers and IT professionals who are already well versed in object-based programming. However, he noted, "In the near future, we will be able to provide a basic interface that allows users to custom-connect objects—everyday household things like bicycles and appliances and cameras—dynamically to the Web."

Eventually, the BHiveLab team envisions a consumer platform that will allow even the programming novice to build his or her own IoT applications. For instance, a user would be able to build an application that catalogs the wine in her cellar and then connects each bottle to the Web using something like RFID tags or QR codes.

"The technology standards are not quite where they need to be for the IoT concept to go main stream," said Gardinier. "But it is only a matter of time. You have third graders learning how to write code to control robots. Their expectations when they grow up will be that every object will be able to hold and process data. Imagine the day when your refrigerator is as smart as your mobile phone, meaning it can alert you to when you need to buy milk and then send a reminder and a coupon straight to the shopping list app on your smartphone."

About BHiveLabBHiveLab was launched in 2011 by Brunner, a full-service ad agency based in Pittsburgh, to give creative and technology-focused talent the opportunity to focus on helping brands and technology startups leverage emerging digital technologies, such as mobile, near field communications, and physical-to-digital experiences to engage today's tech-savvy, on-the-go consumers. To learn more about BHiveLab's work in the Internet of Things space, visit the company's Web site.